1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system and an operation method for the endoscope, and more particularly to an endoscope system comprising two endoscope devices, each having an endoscope provided with a balloon at the tip of an insertion part of the endoscope and having an insertion assisting tool for guiding the insertion part of the endoscope into a body cavity, the two endoscope devices being simultaneously inserted into the body cavity at the time of use, and to an operation method of the endoscopes.
2. Description of the Related Art
As kinds of endoscopes, there are, for example, a small intestine endoscope, a large intestine endoscope, etc. In the case of the small intestine endoscope, an insertion part is inserted from the mouth of a patient through the esophagus, the stomach and the duodenum into the small intestine, and in the case of the large intestine endoscope, the insertion part is inserted from the anus through the rectum into the large intestine, thereby predetermined treatment being performed in the respective cases.
However, when the insertion part of the endoscope is inserted into a deep part of the digestive tract, such as the small intestine, it is difficult to perform the insertion into the deep part by merely successively pushing the insertion part because complicated bent and sagged states of the intestine make the pushing force hardly transmittable to the tip of the insertion part. Accordingly, there is proposed an endoscope system in which an insertion assisting tool referred to as an overtube or a sliding tube, which is fitted to the insertion part of the endoscope, is inserted into a body cavity so as to guide the insertion part, thereby preventing excessive bending and deflection of the insertion part (for example Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-248794).
In the conventional endoscope system, there is also known an endoscope system of double balloon type, in which each of the tip part of an endoscope and the tip part of an insertion assisting tool is provided with a balloon (for example Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-340462 and No. 2002-0301019).